The Sannin Who Wanted to Fight a Kage

The Sannin Who Wanted to Fight a Kage

A remarkable scene appeared on the streets of Amegakure.

Yunqing, the famous Third Kazekage of the Ninja World, was leading his guards and attendants in recruiting people.

"Recruiting! Recruiting! Sunagakure is hiring in large numbers!"

"As long as you have a skill, as long as you're willing to work hard, come with us and you'll have a good life."

"Twenty years of credibility! Sunagakure's reputation over twenty years guarantees that we won't treat you poorly."

"Believe in us, and we'll give you a way out."

A group of Sunagakure shinobi stood beneath umbrellas on Amegakure's streets, calling out at the top of their lungs.

"What enviable weather. Some places are dying from drought while others are drowning in floods. Wouldn't it be nice if things could be balanced out?"

Sitting beneath the eaves by the roadside, Yunqing looked up at the torrential rain filling the sky and sighed with a smile.

What was strange was that when the rain reached the space before Yunqing, it naturally split apart.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage. If this rain fell on Sunagakure, our lives would be much better."

The young female guard beside him sighed as well.

"Heh, Hanzo would love nothing more than for this rain to fall on Sunagakure.

Without all this rain, the Land of Rain's national strength would be right on Konoha's heels."

The Land of Rain had an excellent location, developed transportation, and was an important commercial hub. Its land and forests were also lush and thriving.

Without this endless rain, no one knew just how powerful the country might become.

"Heh, surely you're joking."

The young female guard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Pakura, you are the talented daughter of the Ye Clan. Remember, don't keep your eyes fixed on only one place. Observe more. It will benefit your future."

Yunqing glanced at the young woman beside him and spoke sternly.

She was the only young woman from Sunagakure's Kekkei Genkai Family. In the original story, she had been a formidable fighter as well, and she was someone he wanted to nurture.

He did not want a talented young woman who only knew how to fight and kill.

"Yes, Lord Kazekage."

Pakura lowered her head and replied respectfully.

Inside Amegakure's main building, Hanzo was handling government affairs.

"Leader, the Third Kazekage is recruiting people throughout the village. Should we stop him?"

A young shinobi asked.

"No need. If they want to recruit, let them. The Third Kazekage is no fool; he'll give us an explanation."

Hanzo answered without even raising his head.

Anyone capable of becoming a leader possessed considerable political intelligence and their own way of dealing with people and matters.

"Send more people to keep an eye on Konoha and Iwagakure. They may very well choose to go to war in the Land of Rain."

Hanzo gave another order.

"Yes."

In Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi was comforting his three disciples, mainly Tsunade.

After losing face, Tsunade was in a terrible mood and was throwing a tantrum.

With a slap, Tsunade smashed Hiruzen Sarutobi's desk to pieces. Her entire body trembled as she roared in fury:

"Old man, why are you swallowing this humiliation? Those bastards from Iwagakure and Sunagakure actually dared to scheme against us! Sunagakure is nothing but a bunch of defeated losers!"

"Calm down, Tsunade. The old man must have his own considerations."

Jiraiya hurried forward to persuade her.

"Tsunade, listen to Teacher first. Teacher must have his own reasons."

Orochimaru urged her, his scalp tingling.

The terrifying memories Tsunade had left him still made his heart tremble.

Hearing the two of them and seeing Hiruzen Sarutobi's awkward expression, Tsunade sat down, still fuming.

"Sigh, there's no helping it. Konoha is constrained in too many ways. We're fighting on multiple fronts already and no longer have the energy to keep tangling with Sunagakure," Hiruzen Sarutobi said helplessly. "Besides, we did not come away empty-handed. We got what we wanted."

As he spoke those last words, a sharp gleam flashed through Hiruzen Sarutobi's eyes.

Orochimaru and the other two immediately fell into thought.

"Those mission quotas?"

Jiraiya asked cautiously.

"Idiot." Tsunade smashed her fist down, introducing Jiraiya to the ground at close range.

"It's Sunagakure's research on the One-Tail. That's what matters most."

Orochimaru reminded him from the side, his tongue flicking out.

"Research on the One-Tail? Teacher, doesn't Konoha have Mito? The Nine-Tails can't possibly run rampant. Why do we need their Tailed Beast data?"

Jiraiya was genuinely filled with confusion.

He did not know how strong Mito Uzumaki was, but he knew one thing: as long as Mito remained alive, the Nine-Tails could not possibly cause trouble.

"Idiot. With Grandma around, the Nine-Tails is no issue. Even after Grandma is gone, we still have the Uzumaki Clan as friends, and Konoha's Sealing Technique is second to none.

"But look at the other Ninja Villages. Their use of Tailed Beasts has already reached the battlefield. Sunagakure in particular even used the One-Tail to develop Magnet Release. Just think about Suke's strength."

Tsunade looked at Jiraiya with disdain. Calling that intelligence a basin would be generous.

"That's right. Just as Tsunade said, we have researched Tailed Beasts far too little. I suspect that the Third Kazekage's strength is related to the One-Tail. Haven't you noticed? His Chakra is simply too vast."

Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was filled with wariness.

Having a lot of Chakra was not frightening. What was frightening was someone with a sharp mind, a solid inheritance from their teachers, and exceptional talent of their own.

And Yunqing possessed every one of those necessary conditions.

Hiruzen Sarutobi had no choice but to be wary.

Konoha's Nine-Tails was equivalent to a nuclear weapon, but it could not be used. Their Tailed Beasts, on the other hand, could serve as both nuclear weapons and assault rifles. How could that leave him at ease?

"Hey, old man, then why aren't we leaving Amegakure? The Cloud Ninja have been watching us like tigers from the sidelines, and there's nothing here worth missing."

Tsunade looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi resentfully.

She did not want to remain in this sorrowful place for even another moment. The three of them had joined forces and still lost in terms of momentum. It was truly humiliating.

"Don't you want to truly fight a Kage-level opponent at least once?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi said temptingly.

Silence. The instant his words fell, the entire room went quiet.

Did they not want to? How could they not?

Relying solely on instruction and training would never allow someone to become Kage-level.

Without challenging opponents above one's level, without a heart that strived upward, how could one become Kage-level?

You could not just train casually, suffer some heartbreak, awaken some eyes, and become Kage-level. Nor could you simply have your Chakra erupt and become Kage-level.

That was impossible.

In the original story, the Sannin had become renowned throughout the ninja world by fighting their way there. They had earned it through two Ninja World Wars, through sheer strength. No one knew how many experts the three had fought or how many life-and-death battles they had endured during the Ninja World Wars.

Their battle that made their names had been when they were Quasi-Kage, fighting the supreme Kage-level expert Hanzo to a draw.

"Stop joking, old man. If we fight you, Danzo, and Mirror, you won't go for the kill. As for everyone else, unless there's absolutely no other choice, you won't let us face them."

After a long while, Tsunade revealed a bitter smile.

Did they truly have no opportunity to fight Kage-level opponents?

They did.

There were several Kage-level fighters within Konoha alone. On the Sunagakure battlefield, Bunpuku and Suke were both Kage-level.

Yet even now, the three of them had never engaged in a true life-and-death battle against a Kage-level opponent.

The Kage-level fighters in Konoha would not truly harm them and could not possibly go for the kill. The identities of the three stood there.

As for Sunagakure's, whenever Bunpuku and Suke appeared, Danzo, Mitokado Homura, and Hatake Sakumo would step in.

The three of them could at most provide support. Every direct battlefield had been completely claimed by the others.

"Hah, would I lie to you? Just wait. The chance will come."

Hiruzen Sarutobi stood and walked to the window. Looking at Yunqing, who was seated beside the street across from them, he smiled as he spoke.

In a flash, Hatake Sakumo appeared in the room, water still clinging to his body.

"Lord Hokage, it has been confirmed that Suke of Sunagakure has left. At the same time, news has arrived from Konoha: the sandstorm at the border has vanished. According to intelligence, Bunpuku, the One-Tail Jinchuriki, has already returned to Sunagakure."

Hatake Sakumo spoke respectfully.

"See? Isn't this the opportunity?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the three with a faint, unreadable smile.

Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru clenched their fists, looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi with both excitement and fear.